sarabinders make wonderful, functional giftsand the creative ideas are totally up to you, which means tons of opportunity for personalization! Keep your recipients in mind as you put together your gift binders: Which binder size best suits them? What type of binder would they look forward to using? What color scheme would they love? Youll have so much fun working on these great new paper crafting projects, and your recipients will love the time and thought you put into them! Read on for two of Sara and LeNaes creative gift-giving project ideas.

Paper Wishes Weekly Webisodes: sarabinders

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This useful workbench book makes a perfect gift for Dad. After decorating the cover of this binder, you can use the remaining artwork, papers and vellum from the Workbench Ephemera collection to create tons of coordinating inserts like dividers and pockets. For this unique organizer, Sara used distressing techniques like crumpling, inking and sanding to give the papers and metal embellishments a well-used look.

Ink the spine, back cover and 1 in from all sides of the front cover of the binder with black. Use sandpaper to scuff the rivets on the spine, giving them a worn look. Cut a 5x7 piece of wood paper and tear along all the edges. Crumple the paper and smooth out; repeat until the paper looks slightly tattered. Lightly run a black ink pad over the flattened out paper to ink the peaks of the crumples with black. Glue the paper centered on the front of the binder.

Cut out alphabet tiles to spell Work Bench Book and ink the edges of each tile with brown. Run sandpaper over each tile to lightly scratch the surface. Glue to the wood paper, starting about 2 down from the top edge of the paper. Cut out the artwork and lightly scratch each with sandpaper, then glue around the alphabet tiles as shown.

Use sandpaper to scuff the surface of one library treasure bookplate. Use alphabet stamps and black ink to stamp the word Dads onto tan cardstock. Frame the word Dads in the window of the bookplate and trim the excess cardstock even with the edges of the bookplate. Add one antique brad to each hole on the bookplate to secure the cardstock behind it, then glue at an angle in the top left corner of the wood paper.

Who wouldnt love to be given this classy binder? Personalize it with journaling on the tag that focuses on the lucky recipient. Create this journal to cover a year, an event, a vacationwhatever you can dream up! Fill it with lined papers for journaling and add pockets and envelopes to keep special treasures related to the memories that fill the pages!

Use a foam brush to paint the spine and about 1 1/2 in from the spine on both the front and back covers of the sarabinder with sage green acrylic paint. Cover the both the front and back covers of the sarabinder with green words paper, starting about 1 in from the spine. Ink the edges of the binder with black.

Computer journal the title of the journal onto white cardstock, then crop to a small rectangle. Mat on dark green textured paper, trimming the mat to 1/16. Cut out the tag and glue the title across it. Cut a 3 length of black and white gingham ribbon and trim the tails at an angle. Wrap the ribbon just under the top of a gold brad, then insert the brad into the top of the tag. Glue the tag in the bottom right corner of the front of the binder.

Follow the instructions on the back of the Buckle Up Treasures to assemble. Wrap the ribbon vertically around the front surface of the binder, covering the seam between the paint and the left edge of the paper, then fasten the buckle on the front. Cut a V in the tail to prevent fraying.

Like what you see here? Head to www.sarabinders.com for more great project ideas plus tons of useful tips and techniques!